After Setting a Pair of FCS Records, Cooper Kupp is Sports Network FCS Freshman of the Week

Nov 18, 2013

A perfect 11-for-11 in catching a TD pass in games this season,
Kupp’s 1,231 receiving yards are also a FCS freshman record
for the Jerry Rice Award candidate

Hard work has paid off in the form of a pair of national college
football records – and more honors – for Jerry Rice
Award candidate Cooper Kupp.

For the second time this season, the Eastern Washington
University redshirt freshman wide receiver has been honored by The
Sports Network as its Freshman of the Week in the NCAA Football
Championship Subdivision.

With eight catches for 139 yards and a pair of touchdowns last
Saturday at Cal Poly, Kupp broke the FCS record for receiving yards
by a freshman and also equaled the FCS record for most consecutive
games with a TD catch of 11 (at any grade level). Kupp, a 2012
graduate of Davis High School in Yakima, Wash., has caught a TD
pass in all 11 games he has played as an Eagle thus far in his
career.

“’He’s obviously really talented, but on top
of that he maximizes his talent and opportunities,” said
Baldwin of the candidate for the Jerry Rice Award given to the top
freshman in FCS. “He deserves it because of how hard he works
at it. He does all the little things to put himself in position to
break those records. He’s always making huge plays –
it’s constant.”

Kupp had TD catches of 32 and 24 yards against Cal Poly, and now
shares the consecutive record with Randy Moss from Marshall in
1996, Cal Poly’s Ramses Barden in 2008 and EWU’s
Brandon Kaufman in 2010.

He has 1,231 yards for the season on 68 catches, breaking the
old freshman yardage record of 1,196 set by Sean Price of
Appalachian State in 2012

Kupp has 16 TD catches (second in FCS behind Eric Lora of
Eastern Illinois with 17) on 68 catches this season – a TD
for every 4.3 catches so far. The next-best freshman in FCS has
seven receiving TDs. Kupp, who is averaging 18.1 yards per catch,
is fifth in FCS and tops among freshmen in receiving yards per game
(111.9), fourth in total receiving yards and 24th in receptions per
game (6.2).

In the last five games, he has caught 46 passes for 804 yards
and eight TDs. Kupp has had performances of 11, 11, 8, 8 and 8
catches in his last four games, with yardage totals of 168, 182,
205, 110 and 139. His 205 yards against Idaho State ranks as the
sixth-most all-time at EWU. He has seven performances this season
of at least 100 yards.

He garnered co-FCS Freshman of the Week honors from The Sports
Network when he caught 11 passes for 182 yards and two touchdowns
versus Montana on Oct. 26. Eastern, which has already assured
itself a spot in the FCS Playoffs, closes the regular season
against Portland State this Saturday (Nov. 23) at 2:45 p.m. at Roos
Field in Cheney, Wash.

COOPER KUPP MILESTONES AHEAD

Receiving Touchdowns (16) . . . He
shares the FCS record for most consecutive games with a TD catch in
a season of 11 set by Moss Randy Moss from Marshall in 1996, Cal
Poly’s Ramses Barden in 2008 and EWU’s Brandon Kaufman
in 2010. Currently second in school history, Kupp is three from the
school record (19 shared by Nicholas Edwards, 2011, and Eric
Kimble, 2004). The FCS record for most touchdowns by a freshman is
held by Moss with 19 in 1996.

Receiving Yards (1,231) . . . Kupp
owns the FCS record for receiving yards by a freshman, which was
previously 1,196 yards by Sean Price of Appalachian State in 2012.
He is currently seventh in school history and needs 19 to move into
sixth, 77 to move into fifth and 145 from fourth. The school record
is 1,850 set by Brandon Kaufman in 2012.

Receptions (68) . . . Is 13 catches
from the FCS record for receptions by a freshman (81, Sean Price,
Appalachian State, 2012). He is currently 10th in school history,
and is just three from ninth, four from eighth and eight from
seventh in school history. The school record is 95 set by Nicholas
Edwards in 2011.